Chapter 6 The Revolution Within

Chapter 6: The Revolution Within Democratizing Freedom How did equality become a stronger component of American freedom after the Revolution? The Dream of Equality The American Revolution took place at 3 levels simultaneously: o Struggle for national independence o Phase in century-long global battle among European empires o Conflict over what kind of nation an independent America should be Americans rejected the society of privilege, patronage, and fixed status American freedom forever linked to equality o Before the law, in political rights, in economic opportunity, of condition Expanding the Political Nation Males still head of households Slaves were still the property of their master Political participation was the biggest change that democratization of freedom gave free men o Debates on universal suffrage, religious toleration, abolition of slavery were discussed  By all: elites, artisans, small farmers, laborer’s In many colonies-turned-states, militia member demanded rights o To elect all their officers o To vote for public officials whether or not they met property or age requirements o Service in the army enabled groups excluded from politics the rights to full citizenship in political sphere The Revolution in Pennsylvania Revolution’s radical potential most evident in Pennsylvania o Prewar Elite opposed independence, the feared  Rule by “rabble” (disorderly, inferior, mob-like crowd)  Attacks on property  Opportunity for the rise of new pro-independence grouping Artisans and lower-class communities of Philadelphia Organized in extralegal committees and local militia o Pennsylvania radical leaders were advocates of equality  Attacked property qualifications for voting Believed every man should be eligible to vote and hold office o Pennsylvania adopted a new state constitution 3 months after declaring independence      One house legislature elected once a year by all men over 21 who paid taxes Abolished governor Ridded property qualifications for holding office Provided low-fee schools in every county Guarantees of freedom of speech, writing, and religious liberty The New Constitutions Every state adopted a new state constitution o Governments must be republics: representative political system in which citizens govern themselves by electing representatives, or legislatures, to make key decisions on the citizens’ behalf 1  Consent of the governed  No king or hereditary aristocracy 1776, John Adams published Thoughts of Government to counter act Pennsylvania’s excessive radicalism o New constitutions should create balanced government between wealthy and ordinary men    Two-house legislature Powerful governor or judiciary would ensure neither class infringed on the liberty of the other Every state adopted this except Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Vermont But only in Massachusetts was governor allowed to veto over laws passed by legislature Other states resented governors challenge to power of colonial assemblies o Wanted power with legislature The Right to Vote John Adams saw freedom and equality as opposites o Believed men without property had no judgement of their own o Believed that the removal of property qualifications would destroy distinctions and level out all classes Democracy most resisted in south o Virginia and South Carolina  Property qualifications remained for voting  Gentry-dominated legislature chose governor Most democratic new constitutions saw voting as an entitlement not a privilege but generally stopped short of universal suffrage, even among free men o Pennsylvania: no property qualification but taxpaying qualification  Most free men could vote—still barred paupers and domestic servants (didn’t pay taxes) By 1780s, a large number of adult white male population could meet voting requirements o Except in Virginia, Maryland, and New York New Jersey granted suffrage to “all inhabitants” o Many property-owning widows cast ballots o 1807, “inhabitants” changed to “white male” Toward Religious Toleration How did the expansion of religious liberty reflect the new American ideal of freedom? Religious toleration rose from the acceptance of multiple religions, not from a well-developed theory of religion Pre-revolution, most colonies o Supported religious institutions with public funds o o Barred voting and officeholding against Catholics, Jews, and some dissenting Protestants In Massachusetts, Baptists who refused to pay taxes for support of Congregational ministers were jailed Catholic Americans Second Continental Congress invited inhabitants of Catholic Quebec to join struggle against Britain o Assured them Catholics and Protestants could work together 1778, US formed alliance with Catholic France o French aid in American victory against Britain strengthened idea that Catholics had role to play in new nation  Veered away from idea that full rights of Englishmen were only for Protestants Separating Church and State Men like Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, James Madison, and Alexander Hamilton viewed religious doctrines through Enlightenment lenses of rationalism and skepticism o Believed in good God but not in supernatural interventions in the affairs of men 2 Deists (like Jefferson) wanted to free politics and exercise of intellect from religious control States disestablished established churches o No more state funding or special legal privileges o o Constitutions declared a commitment to “the free exercise of religion” Catholics gained right to worship without religious persecution o Exceptions:  Every state but NY barred Jews from voting or holding office  Massachusetts retained its Congregationalist establishment and public funding for religious institutions Jefferson and Religious Liberty Bill for Establishing Religious Freedom: A Virginia, drafted by Thomas Jefferson in 1777, and enacted in 1786, that guarantees freedom of, and from, religion o Eliminated religious requirements for voting and office holding o o o Eliminated government financial support for churches Eliminated government forcing one to choose a religion *This is 1 of the 3 accomplishments Jefferson wished to be remembered for (not even Presidency included) Religious liberty drew a line between government and the realm of private life James Madison successfully resisted a Virginia tax to support Christian churches o Reinforced principle that the US was an asylum to the persecuted and oppressed Religious freedom proliferated religious denominations Christian Republicanism Supporters of evangelical religion and of republican government both believed o In the absence of moral restraint (provided by religion and government) human nature was likely to succumb to corruption and vice (immoral, wicked behavior) Religious leaders viewed the revolution as part of God’s plan to promote the development of a good society o World could be perfected, Christ did not have to destroy world A Virtuous Citizenry Virtue: The ability to sacrifice self-interest for the public good Some (Jefferson, Adams, Rush) made plans to establish free public schools to equip future citizens o With the “principles of freedom” o For making wise decisions in the election on representative Knowledge among all citizens was essential for government based on the will of the people to survive Defining Economic Freedom How did the definition of economic freedom change after the Revolution, and who benefited? Toward Free Labor Rapid decline in indentured servants and apprentices o Paid domestic service now an occupation for blacks and women o Lack of freedom that came with these jobs before were now incompatible with republican citizenship By 1800, indentured servitude was gone and sharpened the distinction between o Freedom and slavery o Northern economy (“free labor”---wage workers and farm ownership) and southern economy (slavery) 3 The Soul of a Republic Could a republic survive with a sizeable class of dependent Americans? National freedom = equal distribution of land Equality = the soul of a republic o Radical patriots believed government should limit accumulations of property in the name of equality o Most free Americans believed equality meant equal opportunity (rather than equality of condition) o Revolutionary leaders believed that vast amount of available land and large population of independent farmers and artisans would naturally produce a society with justice, liberty and equality Jefferson believed lack of economic resources was lack of freedom. Virginia laws: o Abolished limitation of inheritance to a specified line of heirs to keep estate in family o Abolished primogeniture (passing family land entirely to eldest son)  Believed these would keep from the rise of a future aristocracy The Politics of Inflation Debates over whether local or national authorities should limit price increases o Congress issued hundreds of millions of dollars in paper money Inflation: an economic condition in which prices raise continuously o Wartime disruption of agriculture and trade-some hoarded goods to make profit during shortages 1776-1779: more than 30 incidents between crowds and merchants accused of holding scarce goods off market o Crowds often seized goods and sold them at “just price” The Debate over Free Trade 1779, inflation out of control (45% price increases in Philadelphia in 1 month) o Congress urged states to adopt measures to fix wages and prices  Reflected belief that republican government was to promote public good, not self-interest Free trade: the belief that economic development arises from the exchange of goods between different countries without governmental interference o Supporters argued that economic development arose from economic self-interest 1776 work by economist Adam Smith that argues that the “invisible hand” of the free market directed economic life more effectively and fairly than governmental intervention Opponents of price controls believed “natural liberty” would regulate prices o Freedom to purchase or not to purchase? Freedom of competitive pricing? 2 competing conceptions of economic freedom: o 1. Traditional view that the interests of the community took precedence over property rights of individuals o 2. Unregulated economic freedom would produce social harmony and public gain The Limits of Liberty How did the Revolution diminish the freedoms of both Loyalists and Native Americans? Colonial Loyalists Loyalists: Colonists who remained loyal to Great Britain during the War on Independence o Saw conflict with Britain and aftermath as a loss of liberty o o Supported resistance to British but opposed independence  20-25% of Americans remained loyal to Britain and 20,000 fought on their side Most resided in New York, Pennsylvania, and backcountry of Carolinas and Georgia  Wealthy men who depended on crown relationship (lawyers, merchants)  Anglican ministers 4  Imperial officers Struggle for independence heightened tensions between ethnic groups and social classes o Loyalist ethnic minorities: feared that local majorities would infringe on their cultural autonomy o o Loyalist backcountry farmers: resented domination of public affairs by wealthy planters Loyalist slaves: hoped American defeat would give them freedom The Loyalists’ Plight War on independence in some respects a civil war o New state governments or patriots suppressed newspapers thought to be loyal to Britain o o Pennsylvania arrested and seized property of Quakers, Mennonites, and Moravians (pacifist denominations who refused to bear arms due to religious beliefs) States required oaths of allegiance  Refusal = no right to vote, exiled, land confiscated and sold Treaty of Paris of 1783: Treaty that ended the Revolutionary War; recognized American independence from Britain, established boarder between Canada and the US, fixed western boarder at the Mississippi River and ceded Florida to Spain o Ended persecution of Loyalists by state and local governments o Seized property was supposed to be restored but was not The Indians Revolution Indians’ allegiances during the War of Independence o Iroquois sided with British  First time, they battled each other o Oneida sided with Americans  After war, submitted to Congress claims for losses (sheep, hogs, kettles, frying pans, plows, pewter plates) o Younger Cherokee leaders sided with British o Older Cherokee leaders sided with Americans o Southern Choctaw and Creek sided with British Savage Warfare o Ohio country: British encouraged Indians to burn frontier farms and settlements o Washington against Iroquois: total destruction of settlements and capture of as many prisoners as possible (of all ages and sex)  Burned 40 Indian towns, destroyed thousands of bushels of corn, uprooted fruit and veggie gardens Disposition of Indian Lands o Governments created to be democratically accountable to voters who coveted Indian land o Liberty for whites meant loss of liberty for Indians  Dispossession Indians of their land  Only hope for Indians was removal beyond the Mississippi The Treaty of Paris shifted balance of power away from Indians and to white Americans o American independence was “the greatest blow that could have been dealt to [the Indians]” o In treaty, Britain ignored Indian allies and acknowledged American independence east of Mississippi— ignoring Indian presence Slavery and the Revolution What was the impact of the Revolution on slavery? American independence threatened Indian liberty, but blacks saw the resolution as a chance for freedom 5 The Language of Slavery and Freedom Meaning of slavery o “Liberty” and “Slaver” were the most invoked words in legal and political literature o Slavery = a political category: the denial of one’s personal and political rights by arbitrary government  Those who lacked political voice referred to themselves as enslaved Colonial familiarity with slavery made them unusually sensitive to threats to their own liberties Obstacles to Abolition At time of revolution, slavery was already an old institution in America o Existed in every colony o Formed basis of economy and social structure Some patriots argues that slavery for blacks made freedom possible for weights o Slaver ownership offered economic autonomy (deemed necessary for genuine freedom) The Cause of General Liberty Defining freedom as a universal entitlement called slavery into question Pre-Revolution o 1770, The Selling of Joseph: the 1st anti-slavery tract printed in America  All the “sons of Adam” were entitled to “equal rights unto liberty” Anti-slavery sentiments spread to Pennsylvania Quakers  Believed all persons possessed an “inner light” Revolutionary Era o Slavery became a focus of public debate o o Pennsylvania patriot Benjamin Rush called of advocates of American liberty to give liberty to all  Slavery was a “national crime” that would one day bring “national punishment Petitions for Freedom By defining slavery as a universal right, slaves saw this as a weapon that could be used against them Freedom petitions: arguments for liberty presented to New England’s courts and legislatures in the early 1770s by enslaved African Americans o First steps toward emancipation Turmoil in war offered other avenues of freedom o Slaves ran away and tried to pass as freeborn Lemuel Haynes: A black member of the Massachusetts militia and celebrated minister who urged that Americans extend their conception of freedom to enslaves Africans during the Revolutionary Era o Sought to make white Americans understand slavery as a concrete reality—the denial of all the essential elements of freedom—not a metaphor for lack of political representation as many whites used the word As slaves demanded their rights, they showed just how American they had become British Emancipators 5,000 slaves fought for American independence and gain freedom o Far more gained freedom from British  Lord Dunmore’s Proclamation in 1775  Philipsburg Proclamation in 1779 1/4 of South Carolina slaves and 1/3 of Georgia slaves fled to British lines More than 15,000 slaves left with British out of the country o Ended up in Nova Scotia, England, and Sierra Leone (settlement for former slaves on coast of West Africa) o Some re-enslaved in West Indies Issue of compensation for slaves who departed with Britain caused bad relations for a long time o 1827, Britain made payments to 1,100 Americans who said they were deprived of property 6 Abolition in the North Between 1777 (Vermont banned slavery) and 1804 (New Jersey banned slavery), every state north of Maryland took steps towards emancipation o First time legislative power was used to eradicate slavery Even in the north, abolition of slavery impeded property rights Laws freed children born in future to slave mothers but not current slaves o Children served mother’s master until they reached adulthood as compensation for their economic loss Abolishment in the north was a slow-process due to legal provisions Free Black Communities Revolution had a contradictory impact on American slavery and therefore American freedom Dangerous line drawn between free and slave states New sizeable population of free blacks o Abolition in the north o Voluntary manumissions (masters freeing slaves) in upper outh o Thousands of escaped New, free black communities arose o Own churches, schools, leaders o Formed a challenge to the logic of slavery, a haven for fugitives, a springboard for future efforts In north, free blacks had right to vote under new state constitutions Despite those who had become free through state laws, voluntary manumission and escape, slavery roase from 200,000 in 1776 to 700,000 in 1790 Daughters of Liberty Revolutionary Women Deborah Sampson: disguised herself as a man in 1782 and joined Continental Army o Commanding officer found out but kept her secret o She was honorably discharged at end of war o Years later, Congress awarded her a soldiers pension Other women o Participated in crowd actions against unfair merchants o Raised funds to assist soldiers o Contributed homespun goods to army o Passed along info about British army movements Principle of coverture remained intact o Relationship to a larger society was mediated through husband o Lacked essential qualifications of political participation—autonomy based on ownership of property or control of one’s self Republican Motherhood Republican motherhood: the ideology that emerged as a result of American independence where women played an indispensable role by training future citizens o Encouraged the expansion of educational opportunities for women  Give children political wisdom o Marriage held together by compassion, affection, and mutual dependence, not male authority Members of family: o North: parents and children (not hired workers, domestic servants, or farm workers) o South: slaves were rhetorically family 7 The Arduous Struggle for Liberty Revolution changed the life of virtually all Americans o Right to vote for many o Bound labor among whites declines o Religious groups enjoyed greater liberty o Blacks mounted a challenge to slavery in which many won freedom o Women (in some ways) enjoyed higher status Indians, many Loyalists, and majority of slaves were deprived of freedom Important publications swept across Atlantic o Common Sense—Thomas Paine o Declaration of Independence—Thoomas Jefferson o Wealth of Nations—Adam Smith (published in England)  Attacked British policy of closely regulating trade o Fragment on Government—Jeremy Bentham  Criticized nature of British government American Revolution helped inspire struggles for social equality and national independence o French Revolution (1789) o o o Uprising that overthrew slave system in Haiti (1790s) Latin American wars for independence in early 19th century Colonial peoples for nationhood in the 20th century 8